My Story Contest 2: 'Mountain Climbing'

This is my entry for My Story Contest 2: What's the most adventurous thing you have ever done ? Participate and Win SBD's @ashwinrajt

I have been a little under the weather lately and because I had all the time in the world as I rested, I decided to put it to good use. And so I wrote…

Why I climb. I’ve already written a few pieces about climbing ever since I started, and I admit, though it might not seem so to some who haven’t really tried it, but it’s addictive, consuming and it ignites a fire in you to get back at it again and again and again. I–who can get so caught up in something so easily–understandably, cannot get away.

I’ve described almost everything I could of my climbing experiences, however few they are. It’s not really in the number of how many climbs you’ve had in your lifetime, it’s how much an activity affected you, physically, emotionally and spiritually…every single time. I guess I’ve tried to say enough to cover a general point of view to why I like to climb. Now I’ll try to elaborate more on why I do. It may be a bit wordy, but hey..that’s the point in writing–to get more words in to get your point across, right? 🙂

Climbing imitates life. All those hours in between the jump-off and the summit, you get to visit the part of you that sometimes you neglect–your mind–and when you get that to work, you’ll see bits and pieces of the similarities of how climbing relates to life’s lessons.

The climb. The good thing about climbing is we get to pick mountains. And we often choose in conjunction to how fit we are. Minor climbs for beginners, average ones to in-betweeners such as I, and major ones for the pros. But whatever the difficulty level is, ascending always requires us to sweat. It won’t matter too if we have the best climbing gears in town, because however expensive our things are, they won’t make going up any more easier. Comfortable perhaps to only an extent. But we still have to sweat no matter what. Just like life..we will never get to where we want to be if we don’t put in a little effort to reach it.

Obstacles. In climbing, we always encounter difficulties like crossing rivers, rappelling over rocky ridges, inching along cliffs to keep going and even torrential rains that make the trails so slippery. It happens just as life gives us challenges to face in our daily lives and it’s okay. It’s at these moments that our resolves are tested, it’s at these moments that we get to decide to brave them all or turn back. Remember there’s nothing wrong in turning back when we think we’re in the wrong track, we can always go another way and that’s the good thing in life as well. We have choices and chances to re gather and to try again and again.. onwards to the peak that we have set out for.

Cramps. At some point our legs give up no matter how strong we think we are–oftentimes because we push ourselves too hard at the onslaught; we want to show our co-climbers that we’re tough as they are, that we aren’t weak. Sometimes it’s an ego match in our heads and it’s crazy. So push ourselves too hard and we get cramps..and we have no other choice but to stop and endure the pain we put ourselves in. But the good thing is, the cramps will fade if we know how to work our leg, how to bend it the right way to release the muscles from tightening up. So it’s best to know how our bodies work before each climb. In life, I guess we must know our strengths but most of all be aware and know how to get around our weaknesses to be able to get by. Because however peachy we think it is at the moment, shit always happens even to the most cautious of people.

Questions and doubts. There are always people who’re going to ask why we bother. I mean what’s the point in climbing? Up and down and what do we get? Yes we get muscle pains and sunburns..but every trying step we take to the summit and back make us tougher and braver for the next one. Oftentimes, it’s us who will be questioning why we are freaking here when the gym is only a drive away. It’s that weak part talking because climbing can be so intense we will want to give up right then and there.

Difficulty shakes our faith, dwindles our hopes and leaves us fallible. And when we come to this point, look behind..there are always people who will give us a push..and those in front who can offer us a lift up. Yet again, these people can only do so much, we must get our own strength back because there’s just no way they’re going to push/lift us all the way up. They have their own difficulties to endure and we should be grateful they even bother to lend a hand. We have to snap out of our stupor and try to get right back to fighting our way up, keeping in mind why we started.

At our own pace. I find I always tire easily when I’m trying to match someone else’s pace in front of me. So afraid to seem lacking, I try to move the way they move, step after step after step. I notice they are not as tired as I suddenly become. So one time I tried putting a little distance in between and it became easier. I realized, the person I’m trailing and I don’t always have the same height, so naturally his single step takes two of mine for the same distance. In trying to match his speed with his steps, I forget my own body’s rhythm and it becomes a problem. I stop more often and suddenly in pain. In life, we always get to compare ourselves with others, and we get disappointed when we find ourselves lacking. Perhaps it’s good motivation if it’s in a positive way, but always keep in mind that you are your own person and just as special.

Enjoying the little things. Sometimes, we get so caught up in reaching the summit the fastest that we can to see the spectacular views waiting there…that we forget that there are views and scenery to enjoy on the way up as well. Like strange flowers…bugs you haven’t seen before..even strange animal noises that tell you they are there..and you are there with them–in the wild. In life, we work hard to get what we want but we should never forget that it’s just a means to an end. We must not live to work but work to live, without forgetting that our hearts need time to pause and enjoy life every now and then…to experience the little things, like a date night with loved ones, a cup of coffee with friends, a cuddle with your pet, a “me” time to regather your thoughts, a hobby or a fun climb every once in a while. 🙂

It’s always worth it. Honestly, climbing is hard, painful and you get tans in all the wrong places 🙂 ..but guess what, once you reach the summit and you see everything else with the right pair of eyes, you’ll realize without a second thought that it’s all worth it. In life, we go through challenges and with the right resolve we get past them, sometimes unscathed if we’re lucky. 🙂 And when you’ve achieved your goal, you’ll feel like the strongest person there is. We all get that same emotion when we reach our summits..and more. But to describe such feelings precisely is futile so I’ll just quote someone: “try it some time and remember that it is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

Hi, steemian. I'm a blogger and frustrated photographer. Don't forget to follow me!

All rewards (if there are) that this post will get will be donated to the Charity Called Bantay Bata. This will help street children to buy their things, food, etc.